Catching up
by JChase
Summary: Emma's past (in the form of one of her foster families) catches up with her. Set after Emma / MM return from FTL. Charming family feels.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, let me know what you think of this and whether I should keep going. I'll appreciate all reviews even if they're brutally honest!**

Emma raced down the stairs while attempting to pull on her jacket. She grabbed her keys and turned to see Mary Margaret at the breakfast bar.

"I made breakfast," she said hopefully, indicating to the plate next to her.

"Oh, I, uh, I have to pick Henry up, sorry."

"That's alright, I'll leave it for David," she said, a bit too nonchalantly, and Emma could see her swallowing her disappointment.

Emma really did want to stay but she wasn't sure if she could handle it yet, so far she had avoided most of the family meals, opting instead to eat at Granny's. She supposed she should make an effort, after all this was her family now, and she didn't want to lose Mary Margaret as a friend.

"How about dinner?" she suggested.

Mary Margaret visibly perked up. "Sure! Dinner sounds great! I'll make something everyone loves, I know Henry likes lasagna," she mused.

"Lasagna sounds great, I'll see you at dinner," Emma called, already on her way out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey kid, what do you want to do today?"

Henry grinned up at her. "I'm up for anything. How about we go see Gramps?"

"Sure," Emma grinned back, "Why not? You don't have any plans with your friends today, do you? Mary Margaret's making lasagna for dinner."

"Nope," Henry jumped into the bug and started bouncing up and down in his seat.

"What's got you so excited?" Emma asked.

"I get to spend the whole day with my mom, have a sword fight with Gramps, then eat Mary Margaret's lasagna while being with all three of you. How can this day not be exciting?"

Emma laughed, "Who said David would agree to a sword fight?"

"You think he can say no to his only grandson?"

Emma smiled. She didn't know about David but she knew she wouldn't be able to say no to Henry.

"So tonight can you and Mary Margaret tell me some more about what it's like over there?" He asked. " I mean, Gramps was telling me what he could remember, but that was 28 years ago. Plus he kept saying his memory wasn't what it used to be. Typical Grandpa line, right?"

Emma could tell Henry was relishing the experience of having grandparents for the first time in his life. She wished she could be so accepting of her parents, but a lifetime of abandonment had taught her that even those who had promised never to desert her would ultimately leave her high and dry. She found it hard not to believe that, eventually, these wonderful, incredible people would see how truly damaged she was. That they would realize their mistake in thinking they could ever love someone so beyond repair. She just hoped that day was a long way off.

She pulled up outside the stables where David was spending the day and Henry wasted no time in racing inside. When Emma followed she found him clinging to David's arm.

"Please, Gramps, please?"

"Henry, I'll let you know when you're ready to start riding them," David laughed, swinging him around. "You need to be patient, alright?"

"Alright," Henry grumbled, "I'll try."

Emma studied David as he asked Henry if he'd done his homework for tomorrow. She wasn't sure how she should react around him. He seemed to genuinely love Henry, and she knew he and Mary Margaret were head over heels for each other, but Emma didn't know how he felt about having her around. It was still a little awkward between them. After all, she was just starting to forgive Mary Margaret, and she was her best friend! David was a stranger. A really nice stranger, but still.

Henry was ranting about how pointless homework was, and how he shouldn't have to do any chores because he was technically royalty when David cut in.

"Nice try, Mister, but even princes have to pull their weight. Speaking of, why don't you muck out the stables? It might convince me you're becoming responsible enough to actually ride a horse."

Without hesitation Henry grabbed a shovel and bolted out the door. Emma went to follow him when David stopped her.

"Emma, I was wondering if I could talk to you?"

"Sure, David," she said, surprised, "What's up?"

"It's just that… we haven't spent very much time together – and I know that's not your fault – but I wanted you to know that I'm here for you, and even though I really am trying to give you time and space I would like it if we could get to know each other a bit more. If that's okay?"

Emma's initial reaction was to place up her walls and she was about to tell him that it probably wasn't the best idea when she remembered her resolution that morning to make an effort. "That sounds nice."

David let out a sigh of relief.

He was about to say something else when Henry barreled through the door and announced that he was done.

"You can't possibly be done!" David cried, "Not that quickly!"

"Go check," Henry insisted.

David ducked out of sight and returned a second later looking perplexed. "Wow, you're better than I thought!"

"Thanks," Henry beamed, "Come on Emma. Let's get something to eat. Before he checks the back of the stables," he added in an undertone.

Emma laughed "Sure thing, kid."

"Hey," Henry called back to David, "You're coming to dinner, yeah? It'll be just the four of us!"

David looked up at Emma. She could see the pure joy in his eyes was tinged with grief, at the memory of all the dinners they should have spent together. That they would have spent together if not for the curse. He gave a sad little smile.  
"Yeah kid, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

**Please review and let me know how I can improve, as well as what you like / what you don't like!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, firstly I just want to thank every single one of the people who have followed/favourited the story. This is my first ever fanfic and the response was overwhelming. Over 30 follows in the first chapter! Also a massive thank you for all of the lovely reviews, they really meant a lot to me!**

**I made this chapter a lot longer than my first, I hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own OUAT!**

Emma watched as Henry grabbed the cutlery from the drawer, practically sprinting to the table to set it in his excitement to finally have a family dinner.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do?" Emma asked, feeling guilty standing about and watching Mary Margaret dish up while David poured everyone drinks.

"Nothing left to do," her mother smiled at her, "You being here is enough."

Emma tried to swallow the lump in her throat. It was moments like these that made her realise just how much she had missed out on in her childhood. Mary Margaret's seemingly ordinary comment had left her feeling as though someone had knocked the wind out of her.

"Alright, everything's ready! Everyone sit down! Careful, it's hot."

Mary Margaret looked as though she was about to burst with happiness and Emma had to hide a smile at her barely concealed glee.

"So," Henry said with his mouth already stuffed full of lasagna, "What was the enchanted forest like?"

"We've already told you just about everything that happened, kid. What more is there to know?" Emma responded as she took her first bite.

"Everything! How tall are the giants? What did the castle look like? Did you learn how to use a bow? Were there really ogres there? Are they ugly?"

"Okay, okay, slow down! I guess there is a bit more to know. Uh, alright, well we didn't see any giants, we didn't spend much time in the castle, I definitely didn't get to learn how to use any weapons. And the ogres are hideous."

"Yep," David added, " Really ferocious, with vicious looking tusks."

Emma raised an eyebrow at him, "Ogres don't have tusks," she said warily.

"Yes they do," he insisted, "Sharp ones that curve up from under their lip."

"They do not! I would know, I've seen one up close recently."

"They definitely do," he said adamantly, "I'm sure of it. I should know, I've spent practically my whole life in that world! Snow, back me up."

"Sorry Charming but she's right, ogres don't have tasks," she said with a rueful grin.

There was a moment of silence before Henry burst into laughter and the two girls couldn't help but join in at the bewildered look on David's face.

"No! You're kidding, right?"

The other three just doubled over, laughing even harder at his denial.

"Okay," David gave a reluctant smile, " Huh. I guess being in a coma for 28 years has taken its toll."

"Oh sure Gramps," Henry chortled, "Blame it on the coma."

Emma felt herself relaxing more and more as dinner progressed. She found that she was actually enjoying just being with her family, one of the luxuries she never thought she would have in her life. Surely this couldn't last.

The constant conversions were just beginning to fade when Henry and David simultaneously reached for the last piece of lasagna. Henry flashed a quick smile at his grandfather before blocking David's fork with his knife. As David whipped his fork around in an attempt to try again Henry once more parried the strike.

"Oh, it is on," David grinned. Without further warning he stood up, grabbed the nearest utensil (a spoon, Emma noted with amusement), and proceeded to announce in a loud voice: "Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems as though we have here a young man who believes he can best the mighty King James in a challenge of swordsmanship." David held out the spoon, as if daring Henry to battle him, "Choose your weapon wisely, grandson."

Henry took about two seconds in deciding on a large ladle they had lying next to the lasagna dish. Emma almost snorted. Of all the things he could have chosen he had gone with the _ladle_?

Mary Margaret groaned from the other end of the table. "Not inside, someone could get hurt," she sighed.

"Yeah," Emma couldn't help but roll her eyes at her mother, "With a dessert spoon against a ladle I'm sure we'll be dealing with near-fatal injuries."

"Well," she relented, "I suppose just this once… as long as Henry has the proper protective gear on…" With a smile at their confused expressions she got up and spent a moment rummaging through the kitchen cupboards before returning triumphantly with a metal colander clutched in her hands.

"Much better," She said appraisingly, as she placed the upside-down colander on Henry's head.

"Grandma, I can't see anything!" Henry laughed.

"Don't worry, Henry" David teased, "With my lightening quick reflexes you won't see me coming either way."

The rest of the night was spent chasing each other around the apartment, as Mary Margaret teamed up with David and Emma with Henry, and only ended when Charming, at the mercy of Emma's plastic spatula after a raid lead by Henry on the pillow fort constructed by himself and Snow, conceded, "The last lasagna slice is yours, Henry!" At which point they all collapsed onto the pillows strewn over the floor.

Emma couldn't help but wonder if all of their family dinners would be this crazy.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Good morning!" Mary Margaret called cheerfully, as Emma descended from the top floor. Beside her David gave Emma a smile.

"You're looking chipper today." Emma observed as she poured herself a coffee.

"Well today is the first day that I'll be aware I'm teaching a class I've been with for 28 years. I'm excited. Also really nervous, but mostly excited."

"You'll be fine," David said encouragingly.

"I better get going," was the anxious reply. "Henry are you ready?" She called up the stairs.

Henry came stomping down the stairs, with his bag slung over his shoulder. "Ready." He turned to Emma. "Will I see you this afternoon?"

"Sure, kid, how about we go to Granny's?"

"I could take Henry with me after school and we'll meet you there, if that's what you want," Mary Margaret offered.

Emma could see that she was trying really hard not to overstep the boundaries even though she was desperate to spend more time with her daughter and grandson, and was suddenly grateful. Not many people had ever truly wanted to get to know her before. "Thanks, that'd be great."

Mary Margaret smiled warmly at her before placing a hand lightly on Henry's head. "We'll see you then. Come on, you."

As the pair left Emma remembered that David no longer had anything to do around town, as the stable roof was being replaced today and visitors weren't allowed on the site.

"So what have you got planned for today?" she asked as she sat down next to him.

"I'm not sure. I was thinking of maybe just talking to some people in town, make sure they're handling their post-curse lives alright, that sort of thing." He ruminated.

"Oh. Well, I mean, that sounds great. But you know… you could probably do that with more luck if you had… an _official_ obligation to help them," Emma said hesitantly and with her eyes fixed firmly on the kitchen bench. "Like maybe if you were… town deputy?" Her eyes flickered up to meet his.

"I – Are you offering me a job?" He said, stunned.

"Yeah I know, stupid idea," she said quickly, shaking her head. What had possessed her to do something as ridiculous as that? "I completely understand if you don't want–"

Without warning he pulled her into a tight hug. She tensed at the unexpected contact and he slowly drew away, apologetic.

"Sorry, it's just – I would be honored to be your deputy Sheriff Swan." He said, his eyes twinkling as he smiled at her.

"Well good," Emma said in attempt to downplay how happy his acceptance had made her, "I've got a mountain of paperwork to do so I could use an extra pair of hands around the station."

"Well it's a good thing I am more than happy to help," David responded, unable to quite wipe the grin off his face.

"I guess so," Emma replied, her own smile proving difficult to hide.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"How was school?" Emma asked as both Henry and Mary Margaret slid into the booth with her.

"Great!" Henry exclaimed, "Grandma got all the kids to talk about who they were before the curse and how they feel now, there were some really cool stories!"

"I thought it would be good for them to have an outlet," Mary Margaret added, "That way they would know they're not alone."

"That was a good idea," said Emma admiringly, and she could swear she saw Mary Margaret blush.

They drank their hot chocolates and milkshakes and listened to Henry ramble on about how many friends he had now. Apparently when your mother is the saviour and your grandparents are Snow White and Prince Charming kids tend to be a little more welcoming. Emma was glad that Henry no longer had to feel as though he was alone, as though he was some sort of outcast in his own class. He had told her once that he had given up making any real friends years ago, partly because they were all terrified of Regina, but also because, after a year, Henry would move on to the next grade while the others stayed behind, unable to age. He had said that Mary Margaret was the only person, teacher or student, who had made him feel as though he wasn't crazy.

She looked over at Mary Margaret, who was watching her grandson lovingly, smiling slightly as she listened to his story.

"So then Maddy said that Grace should try to swing across, even though Ava reckoned she couldn't do it." Henry finished.

"Did she make it?" inquired Emma curiously.

"No, she was too short to reach the bars. Maddy said it doesn't matter because inside she's tall." He responded, slurping up the last of his milkshake.

"Ready to go?" Emma asked, "I'm sure you've got homework."

"Not much," Henry protested, but he grabbed his bag and slid out of his seat.

Mary Margaret paid and the three of them left the diner together. As they left, Emma, who was in front of the other two, ran into someone, causing him to drop his bag.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't paying attention!" She bent down to pick it up for him.

"Emma?" the man said incredulously. She looked at him for the first time. A mop of dark brown hair hung over his large, brown eyes.

"Hayden," she breathed. Within moments she had flung her arms around his neck, and he held her tightly, unwilling to let go.

"Actually," she heard his muffled voice rectify, "It's Nicko now."

"Of course," she said with a watery chuckle, finally releasing him. "I knew that."

"And who is this?" Mary Margaret asked, rather pointedly. She had been reluctant to interrupt but she was concerned about Emma's uncharacteristic reaction to the stranger.

"Oh, right," said Emma, quickly remembering her mother and son were watching curiously behind her. She turned back to the man and stated,

"I would like you to meet Mary Margaret and my son, Henry."

"Your son?" He repeated, shocked.

"Pleased to meet you." Henry said politely, offering his hand. The man took it, somewhat stunned.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"Mary Margaret, Henry," Emma said, "I would like you to meet Hay – Nicko. My foster brother."

She could see Mary Margaret relax fractionally. "It's lovely to meet you Nicko."

Nicko abruptly tensed. "Emma," he said urgently, "Emma we need to talk. I didn't realise you were here. I wouldn't have –Look, is there somewhere we can all go that's not so… open?"

"Sure, our apartment's not that far. Why?"

"I didn't know, Emma." Nicko said desperately. "I wouldn't have lead him here if I had, I swear. We need to go. He's coming for me."

Emma took a sharp intake of breath just as a car screeched around the corner and parked on the other side of the road. A middle-aged man got out, unaware of his audience, and took large, purposeful strides towards the town centre. As he rounded a corner his head turned slightly. Just enough for them to get their first real glimpse of his face. Emma couldn't help but gasp.

"Everybody in the car, now!" she said sharply, "And keep your heads down, don't draw attention to yourselves until we're home."

**Feel free to leave comments about what you do and don't like, as well as any way I could improve. I promise that next chapter we'll discover more about Emma's past!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow! What an amazing response! Thank you so much to everyone who followed/favourited the story, I'm so incredibly glad you like it. Just wow. A huge thanks especially to those who reviewed it.**

**For some reason a few days ago the story said it had updated. I hadn't put any new material on so I'm not quite sure what happened! I'm really sorry to those who thought I had, and this chapter's longer to make up for the wait.**

**Also, a really valid comment was made about Emma's response to the man (running away) as it is a bit unlike her. I did think about this when writing but I chose her reaction for a few reasons. The biggest one is that I really felt as though, in that moment, pretty much the only thing Emma can think about is Henry. Her first instinct is to get her family (meaning both Henry and Mary Margaret) to safety. Also she's unfortunately pretty traumatized, so she's not thinking clearly. She's spent her life running from her past and now she has to face it, and she's not quite ready. Thanks for asking :D I really appreciated the feedback! I hope this helps you all understand why Emma responds the way she does.**

**Just so you know this chapter contains references to violence and some pretty shocking things, it is rated T. Also, as much as I wish otherwise, I don't own OUAT!**

"You should have seen her, Charming," Mary Margaret whispered, "She was truly terrified. It was awful."

They were in the kitchen, preparing coffee for Nicko and Emma who sat in the living room with Henry, talking intently.

"And there was no explanation for it?" David whispered back, "She just freaked out over seeing this man?"

"Yes, I've never seen her like that. It scared me to death. Charming, I'm really worried about her."

"We'll talk to her. Let's find out more about this Nicko guy, first."

Mary Margaret gave a quick nod before walking back to the others with the drinks, followed by David.

"What happened to you?" Emma was asking her brother, "Why did you keep going?"

Mary Margaret couldn't help noticing the pain buried in Emma's voice. What had happened between these two?

"I'm sorry Em." His voice broke. "I couldn't go through with it. Not again. But you were so young. You still had so much… spirit. You really believed that things could turn out better, and I couldn't keep you from that life if it existed." He looked around. "Looks like you found it," he said with a small smile.

"Actually," she said with an affectionate glance at Henry, "It found me. I've only been here a few months, but I've finally found a home. These guys are my family."

Mary Margaret's heart almost stopped. Emma thought of them as family. She knew, of course, that they technically were, but there was a big difference in being a bunch of related people and being a family, and she was painfully aware that no one knew this better than Emma.

Nicko smiled at her. "That's good. I'm glad you've got them."

Mary Margaret couldn't help but feel a certain warmth towards this man. He obviously cared a great deal about Emma. She noticed the stubble on his cheeks and the bags under his eyes with concern, clearly he'd been on the move for quite some time.

"Do you have anywhere to stay Nicko?" asked Mary Margaret gently. He shook his head. "Well you're welcome to stay with us as long as you want."

"Yeah!" said Henry enthusiastically, "You can have my bed!"

"That's really nice of you, thanks," Nicko said, "But then where will you sleep?"

"I'll sleep on the floor. I have a sleeping bag I never get to use! Emma can sleep on the couch."

"Sounds good to me," Emma confirmed. "Besides it's a good idea not to be wandering around town if Reece is…"

She trailed off, avoiding the eyes of her family. There was a moment of silence before Nicko spoke.

"I don't know, I don't want to intrude," he stated uncertainly.

"Don't be silly, I'll go and make up the bed with new sheets for you," Mary Margaret asserted.

"Thank you," he replied with a polite smile.

She assured him that it was no trouble then headed upstairs with Henry to tidy the room, while David wandered into the kitchen to find snacks for everyone.

X

"He calls you Emma." Nicko noticed.

"Yeah, I was eighteen when I had him. Broke, no house, no job. He deserved better so I gave him up."

"You gave him up for adoption?" Nicko said incredulously. "After all that happened to us. To you…"

"I know, but it wasn't like that. I was told the people who wanted to adopt him couldn't have children of their own, lived in a huge house and had a steady job. There was no way he was going to be a meal ticket, or sent back and forth between houses." Emma knew it was a poor excuse, but she still believed that Henry had been better off growing up in a stable home, if only that home was with someone other than Regina.

"Even the best of houses can turn out - well, we know better than anyone."

"Nicko what we went through… it wasn't normal. Those types of tragedies don't happen everyday, and even if they do adults are generally equipped to deal with them. What happened to us was the exception, not the rule." Emma grimaced. It didn't make what had happened to them any less painful.

"Well, okay," said Nicko, looking thoroughly unconvinced, "I guess you knew what you were doing. Thank you," he directed at David, who'd offered him a sandwich.

Emma took a good look at him. It had been just over twenty years when she saw him last, and he looked practically the same. Same mess of brown hair. Same steady look in his eyes. She couldn't help feeling pained that they hadn't grown up together.

"Why is Reece here, Hayden? Oh, Hayden, Nicko, whatever," she amended impatiently at his look. "Why now?"

Nicko sighed. "Fifteen years ago I settled down. Small town, about 3 weeks drive from here. About a month ago I was at the bar when out of nowhere, Reece shows up. He looked terrible. Really unkempt. Just as I was ducking out he caught my eye and I could tell, in that instant, that he hated me for what had happened. His gaze drilled into me and the hope I'd held that he would have forgiven me, moved on after all these years, it vanished. I started running. Haven't stopped since."

xxx

_She could hear singing. Felt an arm wrapped around her shoulders. Could smell a roast dinner cooking. All around her there were spectacular colours, a whirlwind of sounds and sights. Her brother laughed, and the sound infected Emma. She giggled along with him and was joined by a deep, rumbling chuckle and a woman's soft laugh. _

_The scene abruptly changed. The arm holding her fell away, and in place of laughter there was silence. A fear settled itself in Emma's stomach and she could feel her heart pumping in her throat. There was the sound of shattering glass and she felt a sharp pain slice across her cheek. A familiar pain. The shadow of a man loomed over her. "This is your fault" he hissed, "You did this". The worst thing was, she knew he was right._

Emma jerked upright, her blanket falling off. She gulped for air. It took a moment to remember what was happening. It was only 10:30 but everyone was asleep, her parents in the next room and Henry and Nicko in the room upstairs. They had opted for an early night, as Nicko was exhausted and both Henry and Mary Margaret had school the next day. Emma attempted to steady her shaking hands and, unable to remain indoors, she quickly donned a shirt and some jeans. Not even bothering to grab her jacket she burst out of the apartment, oblivious to the icy rain pelting her skin. She stumbled past the bug, unsure of where she was headed, weighed down by the overwhelming desire to escape. She kept going for a few minutes, somehow ending up at the site where Henry's castle used to stand. Without thinking about what she was doing she slid to the ground. It was her fault. She lay on the ground, unmoving. She was so sick of running, but she just didn't have the energy to fight. It was like she was a child again. She willed the rain to wash away the memories of her early life.

xxxxx

"Get her inside. What happened?" Emma heard someone say in a panicked whisper. She thought it sounded a lot like David.

"I don't know. I woke up and she wasn't there. Nicko was already awake, getting a drink so we went to look for her around town. I didn't want to worry you. We took her car. I was just about to call you to help us look when I remembered Henry's old spot. Put her down on the couch."

Emma felt herself being lowered onto the couch and vaguely realised that she was being carried. She didn't like that. Surely she could walk by herself! She tried to move but soon became aware that she was unable to do anything other than shiver violently.

"She's ice cold," said Mary Margaret anxiously. "Go get some towels and blankets, both of you." Emma could feel herself being dressed in dry clothes. Okay, this was ridiculous! She attempted to speak but all it got her was a slight ache as her teeth chattered uncontrollably and she bit down on her bottom lip.

"Emma, honey, can you hear me?" Emma focused on her mother's distressed face. "You're going to be okay sweetheart, try and get some sleep now."

Emma's eyes obediently slid shut, almost without her conscious consent. She could still hear the others murmuring around her.

"No, don't tell Henry, he'll find out in the morning anyway. It'll just upset him, and there's nothing he can do." Mary Margaret sighed, sounding distraught.

"I'm really sorry about all this. I know it was probably my leading Reece here that's upset her so much."

"Look, I want some answers," whispered David aggressively, "Who is this Reece? Why is Emma so frightened of him?"

There was a pause before Nicko sighed. "You might want to make yourselves comfortable. It's kind of a long story."

There was a bit of rustling before an expectant silence.

"I was ten years old at the time, Emma had just turned six. I was up to my third foster family, Emma her fourth or fifth, I think. My name was Hayden Waver. At first it was just me and my foster parents, Eliza and Reece. They were perfect. They took me in when I was nine, the family that had me last had just dumped me into an orphanage. They adopted me, no questions asked. Reece was a great dad, and he thought the world of Eliza. He taught me how to play baseball, and got me into all kinds of sports. Eliza showed me how to play piano, and I ended up loving music as much as she did. For the first time I didn't have to pretend to be happy when the social worker visited, I was genuinely thrilled to be living with these incredible people. I even loved the house, it was in a rural area so we were always outside when we got the chance.

It was a little lonely, though, with just the three of us. After almost a year together Eliza asked us both what we thought about adopting another child. Reece was overjoyed; he was on board within seconds. He was so excited, all I can remember is him picking her up and swinging her around and then doing the same with me. She said she was thinking a girl this time, and Reece assented eagerly. I said I wanted her to be younger, or my age. And that was it. We made all the preparations, and then we waited for her.

I won't ever forget how she looked the day she came to live with us. She was tiny, with huge eyes peeking out from a tangle of blonde curls. She was coming straight from another home, we were told, and they hadn't treated her well. She was so thin you could count her ribs." He sounded bitter. "Bastards hadn't even fed her. Bruises and cuts layering her back and stomach, burns marring her arms and legs."

Emma heard Mary Margaret struggle to take a breath and attempted to drag herself away from the brink of unconsciousness, to no avail. This wasn't a story she wanted her parents to hear, but she was too far gone to stop it.

"It took a while but she opened up to us. We were happy. Did all the normal family things; fairs, movies, that sort of thing. I couldn't ask for anything more, school was going well for me, but Emma wasn't going. Her last house had been too indifferent to even get her into a school, so my parents were told they should wait until next year. Emma was the best little sister. Never bugged me to play with her. Actually," he laughed, "I was the one nagging her to play. Really sweet, and pretty shy. Totally convinced that every little thing that went wrong was her fault. Second night in she wet the bed. I honestly think she would have slept in it rather than risk angering us by waking anyone. But I was in the same room as her and I smelt it, so I went and got Reece and Eliza. They stripped the bed and I remember Emma apologizing over and over, telling us it wouldn't happen again, begging us not to send her back. It was heartbreaking. Eventually Reece couldn't stand it any longer. He got down and told her that she hadn't done anything wrong and there was nothing to be sorry about. From then on whenever something went amiss, a broken window, or even the flu, he was the first person she looked to. She always got the same answer. You've done nothing wrong, it was an accident.

Five months later everything changed. It was almost the holidays. Eliza had gone to the shops, to get us Christmas presents, I'm pretty sure. Reece was asleep with a headache and had told us not to bother him. Em and I were playing in the backyard and she accidently fell face first onto the concrete. She looked like she was going to cry so I led her inside, got her a drink, and went to find bandaids in the cupboard like a good big brother. I searched for about 10 minutes because they weren't where they normally were and when I came back Emma had the phone to her ear. In her panic she'd convinced herself that she was seriously injured and, unable to cope with the fear any longer, she'd called Eliza. The thing was, Eliza was driving. Apparently the call distracted her from the road and she… well, she didn't see the semi-trailer coming."

Nicko gulped and Emma remembered the police officers that had come to their door that night. Suddenly she was six years old again, and could feel the world crumbling away in front of her.

"We all torn up but Reece… something broke in him. He could barely look at us. He spent most of his time avoiding us, and started drinking to drown out the world. I convinced myself that it would get better, that it was alright because he only drunk at night, that he was handling it and everything would be okay soon. When he started hitting me I told myself it was because I was a terrible son, and I wasn't helping him enough. So I took on extra jobs, cleaned more, made dinner for Emma and me. When Emma got hurt though, that was painful. She was so scared, but it was the way she accepted it that upset me the most. She'd seen this all before, and everything that happened she was certain she deserved. I tried to protect her as much as I could, get in the way of his fist if I was close enough, that sort of thing, but mostly that just got us both hurt.

During the day, when he was sober, he just ignored us. So I went back to school. Pretended that everything was normal so they wouldn't take us to another home. I couldn't handle that, I knew. And we kept going like that for a few weeks. Until this one day I remember coming home after school and seeing the empty bottles on the floor. My stomach sank to my feet as I realised this meant he'd been drinking during school hours, which had never happened before. I could hear shouting coming from the living room and I ran towards it with my heart thumping so hard in my chest I could barely breathe. Emma was on the floor curled into a ball and clutching her stomach. Reece was standing over her, roaring curse words and brandishing something I couldn't identify in his hand. Glass shards surrounded her and she had cuts on her face and arms. He'd thrown bottles at us before so I knew what was going on.

He was screaming at her. That it was her fault she'd died. That if she hadn't made the call Eliza would still be alive. Every accusation was punctuated with a kick. Her expression said that she knew he was right, that she truly believed him. And why wouldn't she? From the very start Reece was the one who had told her the truth, and reassured her that she hadn't done anything wrong. So when her was telling her that it was her fault, that she could have stopped it, what choice did she have but to believe him? He lowered his hand towards her and that's when it hit me. The thing in his hand. It was a gun."

"What happened?" Mary Margaret asked fearfully. Nicko paused.

"He shot her."

**Sorry to leave it on that note! As always guys let me know what you're thinking and what you like or hate about it. I really am grateful to everyone who reviews and lets me know how they're feeling!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Thank for the lovely reviews, you're all so sweet! Three chapters and almost 100 followers, you guys are the best. Thank you all and I am sorry about the cliffhanger, I just couldn't help myself!**

**Disclaimer: I only own the concept and Nicko.**

**Sorry about the wait, here it is:**

Snow's heart broke. Her baby had been shot. What kind of monster shots a six year old? What kind of soulless animal leads a child to believe she caused the death of her mother?

Snow was shaken out of her reverie by a sharp click. Charming was fastening his holster around his waist.

"I'll kill him," he snarled, and she could tell he was serious. Snow caught his eye and didn't try to stop him. She didn't want to stop him.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," said Nicko urgently as David headed towards the door, "I don't think – Oh. Wow. Okay. You have a sword. That's completely normal."

"Charming, wait," Snow sighed reluctantly, rubbing her temples,"It's not going to change anything. The past won't be erased no matter what we do, and it will just upset her if you get hurt."

Charming studied her face for a few minutes, and saw his grief reflected in her eyes.

Nicko was looking back and forwards between them with a puzzled expression. "So are we just going to ignore the sword, or…?"

Charming slowly put his weapons on the kitchen bench and took small, controlled steps towards them. He lowered himself back onto his seat and said in a tight voice, "What happened next?"

Nicko looked uncertainly at them for a moment, and Snow realised that their reactions may have come off as a bit too strong for roommates, before he took a breath and plunged back into his memories.

"I was shocked, of course. Never in a million years had I expected Reece to do something like this. I no longer knew who my father was. I remember thinking that I had to get to Emma, had to make sure she was okay, but before I could move he took a step towards her. Without thinking I tackled his legs and managed to knock the gun from his hands; it skidded across the hall and rested at the foot of the stairs. He took one look at me and hissed "If you tell another living soul about this, I will hunt you down and I will kill you both, no matter how long it takes me." One glimpse of his bloodshot eyes and I knew he wasn't lying. He left the room without another word.

Emma was just lying in a pool of blood. She looked so pale I thought she was already dead. I took off my jacket and wrapped it around her and then I half-lead, half-carried her up the stairs to our room. It was terrifying; the whole time I was aware that at any moment she could slip away from me. Close her eyes and forget to open them again. And just like that I would be alone in the world.

But she always was a fighter. She held on, and once she was on the bed I got out a few of my old t-shirts and used them as bandages. He'd got her in her chest, on the right side near her arm, and because it was such close range the bullet had gone right through. Thank God he hadn't hit anything major. I tied a sort of makeshift sling for her so she wouldn't exert that side and both open wounds would be covered. My first family had a lot of kids. All the adults ignored us and we got into all sorts of trouble, so I'd picked up a little on how to handle injuries. Nothing like bullet wounds, though.

It was only a bit later, when Emma was more aware of what was going on, that I took care of her smaller cuts and bruises. As well as the shot and numerous lacerations all over her body from the empty bottles he'd thrown, he'd also broken three of her ribs, probably with the force of his kicks. I only found out when I tried to pull her into a hug and she let out this pitiful little cry. She was biting her lip and trying not to make a sound and I told her I would be extra careful with her because I loved her and would do my best to look out for her. And she just looked at me with huge eyes and whispered, "I don't deserve it."

And that decided me. I grabbed my school bag and dumped the contents onto my bed. I shoved in some pants for both of us, as well as the first aid kit that I had out and a couple of socks. I picked up the teddy bear that had been a gift from my second foster family and was my absolute favorite toy and Emma's baby blanket, which she'd been inseparable from as long as I'd known her, and tried to shove them in. There wasn't enough room for both but I couldn't take Emma's blanket from her so I ended up leaving my teddy behind. I got Emma dressed in a singlet, two tops and then her jumper and rain jacket, as well as her good running shoes, before doing the same for myself. She wanted to know what was going on, and why she had her rain jacket on when it wasn't even raining. "We're getting away," I told her, "Somewhere where he can't hurt you anymore, and it might be cold or wet getting there." I grabbed her hand and gently lead her out of the room and down the stairs. As we got closer to the bottom I could see Reece's unconscious form slumped against the wall in the living room. We crept past into the narrow hallway to the front door. I told her to wait for me there and cautiously made my way back to the foot of the stairs. To my right was the room which contained Reece and to my left was the kitchen. I quickly headed to the kitchen where I managed to grab five chip packets, a handful of nuts, a few muesli bars and three water bottles. When I got back to the stairs, my arms full of food, I stubbed my toe on something hard. It was the gun. Without thinking I dropped the water bottles and most of the chips and picked it up. Reece was directly in front of me, still out cold.

One shot. That's all it would take. I wouldn't have to run. I wouldn't have to live with the terror of knowing he was hunting me down. Emma and I would never have to worry about him again. But this guy was my dad. For almost two years he was my father, and even when he made bad choices he was still the only dad I'd ever known. I knew that Reece no longer saw it that way, that since Eliza's death Emma and I had ceased to exist as family. But I still loved him. And I despised him, hated him for that. But I couldn't kill him.

I dropped the gun and slowly picked up the food and turned to see Emma's eyes on me. I knew she would have forgiven me no matter what I'd done, but I was insanely glad I hadn't killed Reece. For a few moments, at least.

We left without a backwards glance. Spent about a week travelling through the trees, day and night, barely sleeping, keeping off the roads, that sort of thing. Emma wasn't healing too well. The food was totally gone in three days, and we just toughed it out for the rest of the week. After a few more days we hit the city. The first night I found a box of matches someone had left on the grounds of a school we passed through and I got really excited. Matches could be the difference between our survival and our deaths. There was only one match though, so my relief was soon replaced with a bitter disappointment.

We got our food from bins, mostly I hid Emma and went out to get it. An injured six year old escorted by a ten year old rummaging through the trash would have looked fairly suspicious.

It would have been easy to tell someone, but the memory of Reece's bloodshot eyes fixing on me and his ominous death threat kept me at bay. No way was I risking our lives by blabbing. It was getting more difficult, though, and as I began to attract unwanted stares I decided it would be best to leave the city. We headed back to the safety of the trees and continued our journey.

"Hayden?" I remember her asking one day, "Will our next family love us forever, or just for a bit? Cause I think they'll like us a whole lot. Maybe enough that they won't send us back, and we won't have to leave! I think that'll be what happens with our next family. Don't you?"

I didn't want to disappoint her so all I said was, "I think you might be right."

I tried to keep our spirits up by playing games with Em, and we spent a lot of time distracting each other by making up stories. We had always been pretty close when we a family but somehow we got even closer. It was more than just caring, we relied on each other. To stay alive, to stay sane.

But we were slowly starving to death. Emma was getting sicker, and began to shake constantly. It got so cold at night that even when I piled every single thing we had on her she was still freezing, and I was just as cold. One night I couldn't take it any longer and decided to build a campfire with the single match we'd found. It took a few minutes but I got it going and we huddled around the small flame. I knew we couldn't keep going for much longer, or at least Emma couldn't, but if anyone found us and learnt who we were surely they would trace us back to Reece? Then who knew what would happen. So I came up with an idea.

"Hey Em," I smiled at her and I pretended that what we were doing wasn't important. "How would you like it if we had new names?"

She frowned at me. "But I like Emma. My parents gave it to me," she whispered and I noticed she clutched her baby blanket a little tighter. Of course, I should have seen that one coming.

"That's okay, how bout just a last name? You can be whoever you want."

She thought about that for a while before asking me if Duckling was okay as a name. When I asked her why she told me that Eliza had once read her a story called the Ugly Duckling, and that she'd really liked it.

"Didn't it turn out not to be a duckling, though?" I asked, "I thought in the end it found out that it was a swan. Hey! How about Swan? Much nicer than Duckling."

She nodded eagerly so I would know she wanted it. "What about you Hay? What's your new name?"

I'd always hated the name Hayden so I was glad to ditch it for something better. "I think I'll also be a Swan. What do you think of Nicko?"

"I like it!" she proclaimed.

So we became Nicko and Emma Swan. For all intents and purposes the Wavers were now dead. Well, all except one.

After that night there was no more fire to keep us warm, and we kept going for another three days. Emma was seriously struggling to breathe and her wounds were badly infected. Pretty late into the third night we stumbled upon the outskirts of a town. Immediately we took a few steps back into the trees until I was sure no one could see us. We could still see this one building. Really big and sturdy with a light on inside. Looked like it would be warm in there. A minute later I realised it was the fire station.

I looked over at Emma and her lips were blue. Her shaking had gotten progressively worse over the week and I knew I couldn't do this to her any more. I knelt down in front of her and told her that she was going to have to walk to the building and ask for help. When she asked me why I wasn't coming with her I looked her in the eye and said, "I don't want you to grow up without any parents. I have, and it's not a good life. I know we aren't going to the same place right now but you and me, we'll always be family. And one day we'll see each other again, okay? I pinky promise. I love you, Em. You be good for your big brother."

We shared a tight hug before I wrapped her in her baby blanket and told her that she was the bravest kid I knew, and I'd known some brave kids. She gave me a sloppy kiss on my cheek and told me she loved me. Then she turned and walked towards the station.

"Hey," I managed to choke out, "You remember who you are."

She turned back and gave me a grin. "I'm Emma Swan."

"That's right, and Emma Swan has a big bro that loves her, no matter what. Don't you forget it."

She nodded solemnly and I watched as she limped away from me and approached the building where she was greeted by a guy in a firefighter's uniform who held her hand and led her inside.

And I hadn't seen her since."

Silence followed the conclusion of his tale. Snow had the uncontrollable urge to hug him and let him know that everything was okay, but she settled for leaning forward and gripping his hand in a tight squeeze before releasing it. She wanted to say something but she couldn't get it past the lump in her throat.

Charming spoke up, his voice gruff with emotion, "Thank you… for telling us that, I know it wasn't easy." Snow could hear the deeper meaning in his thank you that expressed his gratitude for saving Emma's life.

Nicko nodded. "I'm going to go back to bed, I think. Em's still looking really pale, let me know if something happens. In the morning I'll let the police know to be on the lookout."

"Actually, Emma's the sheriff here and I'm the deputy."

"Ah, well, that explains the sword. No but seriously, what's with that?"

Charming just ignored him. Snow could see he was thinking about Reece again from the way his face clouded over in anger.

"You know what," he said, and Snow could hear the ire in his voice, "I'm going to settle this. Tonight. I'm going to get him behind bars and let him rot for the rest of his miserable life, if I don't murder him first, which I am very tempted to do."

Snow could hear him getting more and more worked up.

"I don't think that's the best idea," urged Nicko, "This man is dangerous, we don't know where he is and we don't know what he wants. Besides that, he was a good guy once. Maybe he can change."

"CHANGE?!" Charming roared, "I DON'T CARE IF HE CAN CHANGE, WHAT HE DID TO YOU AND EMMA WAS INEXCUSABLE! YOU WERE CHILDREN FOR PITY'S SAKE!"

"I know that! I just think murder is a bit extreme."

"A bit extreme?!" Charming spluttered, "What - "

"Charming he's right," Snow interrupted quickly. "What that man did was deplorable, but it's not for us to decide whether he lives or dies."

A second later Henry came crashing down the stairs. "What's going on?" he asked blearily. He took in the tense scene before him and noticed Emma on the couch, still shivering slightly and very off colour. "Is that – what's wrong with mom?!" He moved towards her in alarm.

"Henry everything's okay. Your mom went out for a walk last night and got really sick, but we're looking after her." Charming assured. "I'm sorry I woke you kiddo. Let's all go back to bed and we'll talk about what to do in the morning."

"I'll stay up with Emma," Snow offered immediately, "I want to make sure she doesn't get any worse."

**As always please review, I love to know how everyone's feeling!  
**  
**Random side note: It almost killed me writing Henry's "mom" instead of "mum", but I know that while I'm Australian Henry's not!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! I can't even describe how grateful I am to you guys! I'm so unbelievably glad you like the story and thank you so much to those who follow and/or favourite it. Thank you for all the lovely reviews, it's always fantastic to get feedback!**

**I'm really sorry guys, my computer crashed a few days ago while I was trying to post a new chapter and I had to send it away to be fixed. Normally if it has been this long without an update the chapter would be longer to make up for it, but like I said I didn't have my computer with me.**

**I know it seems improbable that Emma would survive without proper medical attention and all I can say to that is Reece shot her near her shoulder so it wasn't life-threatening, and also that she was getting worse as they kept going, but you're just going to have to go with me and assume she was just very lucky. Sorry I don't have a better explanation!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT. If I did Belle would never have destroyed the chipped cup. (I mean come on!). Hope you like this:**

Emma woke suddenly, gasping for breath. Mary Margaret was there in an instant, hands fussing over her as Emma slowed her rapid breathing. She guessed she must have lost consciousness somewhere in the midst of Nicko's story and she wondered how far he'd gone.

"Emma sweetie, how are you feeling?"

Emma could hear her concern and tried to sit up. "I'm fine. I just – I needed to get away."

Mary Margaret nodded understandingly. "Nicko told us what happened," she said gently, "Emma I'm so sorry. I should have been there to protect you. You should never have had to go through that."

"Look," Emma responded uncomfortably, "There was nothing you could have done. I just want to forget this whole thing and move on. Pretend I actually had good parents growing up."

Emma noticed the hurt look that flashed across Mary Margaret's face and relented. "That's not what I meant. What I mean is - "

"I know," Mary Margaret cut in, "And I don't blame you. We missed your whole life, Emma. Growing up you had no way of knowing how much we cared about you. How much we love you. I know we can't make up for missing your childhood but we're here now, and we are never leaving you again."

She tucked a strand of Emma's still-damp hair behind her ear and Emma had never been more sure that her mother would always be there to look out for her. That she actually did love Emma unconditionally.

Right on cue Mary Margaret reached over and pulled Emma's blankets up to her chin. "Are you warm enough?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry you had to hear about all that."

"Emma," Mary Margaret said seriously, taking her hand and looking her in the eye, "We want to know everything about you. Everything you've been through – both good and bad. You can tell me anything, anytime. Nothing you can say or do will ever make me stop loving you, Emma. You're my baby girl, and you grew up so strong and smart and beautiful despite everything you went through. I can never forgive myself for missing those 28 years, but you didn't need us. You turned out to be such an incredible woman, and I'm so proud of you."

Emma felt the tears slide down her cheeks and didn't try to hide them. She leaned in and gave Mary Margaret a tight hug.

"I'll always need you," she whispered, and she felt Mary Margaret give a small sob. She hadn't allowed herself to admit it before, but it was true. She would always need this family and, for the first time in Emma's life, she knew her family would always need her.

She pulled away, slightly embarrassed that she'd let her guard down and articulated how she really felt. She settled back into her blankets and noticed Mary Margaret quickly wipe her eyes with the palm of her hand. Emma hurriedly changed the topic.

"Henry doesn't know, does he?"

"No. He woke up briefly when your father started shouting but we convinced him you were alright and he went back to sleep. He wants to talk to you in the morning."

"David was shouting?" Emma asked curiously. What could he possibly have to get angry about?

"Emma when we found out what that… monster had done to you, Charming very nearly went out and killed him. And I don't think I would have stopped him. The only thing that made me reconsider was Nicko."

"Good," Emma sighed in relief, "Going up against Reece would be stupid. Who knows what he's capable of. Why were you guys so upset anyway? It doesn't matter anymore. He only did what he thought was fair after Eliza's death."

"Emma!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, appalled. "No child deserves to be treated like that, especially one that's been tricked into believing that she's to blame for her mother's death."

Emma avoided her mother's eyes and she heard Mary Margaret gasp in horror. "You still believe it," she said in an anguished voice. "Emma - "

"Can we drop this, please? It's not important."

"How can you say that Emma? What happened to Eliza was not your fault."

"OF COURSE IT WAS!" Emma exploded. She froze for a moment, waiting for the others to wake up and come over, but the apartment was silent except for David's soft snores. "What happened was undeniably my fault," she whispered furiously, "If I had just sucked it up over the stupid scrapes and not gone crying to Eliza she would still be alive." Her voice broke.

"Emma," said Mary Margaret sternly, "Listen to me. What you did was what anybody would have done." Her voice softened as Emma met her eyes. "You were just a scared little girl trying to hear your mother's voice when you were hurt."

She cupped Emma's face with her hand and brushed away the fresh tears that had begun to fall. "It was an accident, sweetheart. No one's to blame. These things just happen sometimes."

"I know." Emma choked out. "I know."

X

Snow held Emma in her arms as she fell to pieces, letting out 22 years of pent up anger and guilt over the death of her foster mother, and many other wrongly accused crimes in which she'd been betrayed, Snow strongly suspected.

"It's okay honey, it's alright." Snow repeated over and over, stroking her hair and hoping to soothe her daughter. "It's okay, I'm here now, it's alright."

Each of her cries pierced Snow to the heart but she didn't let it show. Emma was in pain and she needed her mother to be there for her. So Snow just held her daughter and let her sob her heart out, and as much as it killed her she stayed strong and comforting, even when she felt as though her heart was shattering in her chest.

When Emma had finally worn herself out she settled back under the blankets. "Thank you," she mumbled hoarsely.

Snow kissed her cheek and whispered, "I love you sweetheart."

"I love you too," Emma said softly, sending Snow's heart soaring. As she turned away she swore she heard Emma whisper, "mom."

**Too fluffy? I don't have many just MM / Emma moments and you guys told me you were looking forward to some so I thought this would be cute. What do you think?**


	6. Chapter 6

**I am so, so sorry for the wait guys. Seriously sorry. I got caught up writing a new story. Sorry!**

**As always thank you so much to those who review/follow and favourite, I love you all! I know I haven't updated in so long that you've probably forgotten the story by now. Quick recap of the last chapter MM has just assured Emma that she was not to blame for Eliza's death after Emma woke up.**

**Oh my god I just reread all your reviews they were all so sweet that I'm horrified I left this story for so long. Once again SO sorry.**

**Okay so one of you guys asked if Nicko was going to fall in love with Emma. Valid question but unfortunately the answer is no. They share a purely platonic sibling love :)**

**Alright I've kept you waiting long enough:**

"Are you positive?" Mary Margaret asked for what Emma was sure was the hundredth time. "You still look a bit pale."

"Go already! You shouldn't take a day off just because I'm not feeling my best."

Emma realized her mistake too late.

"So you aren't feeling better! That's it, I'm calling the school." Beside her Henry nodded in agreement.

"No! Seriously! I'll be fine. Besides I have Nicko to keep me company, you really don't need to worry. Get Henry to school."

Mary Margaret reluctantly gave in. "Okay. But if you need anything, and I mean anything Emma, you call me."

"Yes mom."

She heard Nicko choke on his cereal behind her. Damn, she'd forgotten he was in the room. Maybe she really did need someone to watch her that so she didn't blurt out anything stupid around Nicko. She'd have to do damage control a bit later.

Emma saw Henry beam at the acknowledgement of her mother and she rolled her eyes. "Go on, both of you, get out!"

Emma could tell her use of the word "mom" had affected her mother so much that Mary Margaret looked as though she was just barely able to stop herself from flinging her arms around Emma's neck.

"Well alright," Mary Margaret said, unable to mask her smile, "As long as you let me know if something happens."

Emma shut the door with a sigh of relief. She headed back past David who was drinking coffee at the table, to Nicko who was sitting at the breakfast bar with an eyebrow raised. "Mom?"

David looked over surreptitiously but Emma just shrugged it off. "It's a nickname, you know, because she worries about me so much."

"But isn't that really weird? She's your age. She's younger than me!"

"Technically not," Emma mumbled under her breath.

"What?"

"I said not really." Emma lied, "It's kind of in her nature to be kind and caring."

"Yeah I did notice that," he grinned, "Not many people would offer a strange guy a place to stay based only on the fact their roommate knew them twenty years ago."

Emma shrugged, "Exactly. For all she knew you could've been an axe murderer, she's too trusting."

There was a knock at the door and David got up to answer it. Henry had probably forgotten his lunch.

"I guess it's good you have each other then." Nicko grinned, "To keep the other balanced. I can't see _you_ letting a random crash in your house for the night."

Emma poked his ribs playfully and he yelped, moving sideways to avoid her. She laughed as he fell off his chair and stuck his tongue out at her.

"I guess some things never change," she heard a gruff voice say.

They both went pale at the sound and glanced up to see a confused David standing next to a man Emma never thought she'd have to meet again.

"Reece." Nicko acknowledged coldly.

Emma watched as David's face flickered from confusion to comprehension. Before anyone could even move David's fist had connected with the man's jaw. Reece stumbled back and before he could say anything David had once again punched him, this time catching his nose. They all heard a sharp _crack _as Reece crumpled to the floor.

Emma could tell that he was going to strike again and realised how dangerous it could be for David to have her former foster parent hold a grudge against him. Emma didn't know what Reece was capable of, but she did know he didn't forgive or forget.

She leapt forward, grabbing David's arm, and pulled him back slightly. Reece got to his feet and glared at David.

"You'll pay for that," he hissed and spat blood on David's top. David charged forward and twisted the man's arm into a tight arm lock.

"You're under arrest."

"You can't do that!" Reece snarled, "I haven't done anything. All I did was come here where_ you_ attacked _me_. If anything, I could have _you_ arrested!"

"You know what you did you despicable-"

Reece turned his head and gave David a look that made Emma's blood run cold. "Prove it." He spat, "You have nothing you can present that shows I did anything to anyone."

Nicko gave Reece a disgusted look. "He's right," he said reluctantly, "Everything that happened was years ago. He could have told everyone that we ran away. If he contacted the police a few days later looking for two lost children… Well, Emma and I were found separately, miles away from Reece's house, weeks later, and with different names to the two missing Waver kids. Not many people would put two and two together. He got away with it."

Reece smirked as David shoved him away aggressively.

"Get the hell out of my house. And if you ever come near my family again, I will kill you myself."

"You could try," Reece responded. He gave Emma a look full of hatred and gazed at Nicko in contempt. "You two were the reason I lost my family. My Eliza. You took my happy ending. Don't think you're getting yours." And with that ominous threat he disappeared down the corridor.

They stood in silence for a moment. Emma sighed and went to get a bandage for David's bleeding knuckles. Despite what had just happened Emma felt a small glow somewhere deep in her chest. Her dad had just jumped to her rescue. Regardless of the fact that he was probably putting himself in serious danger he had leapt to his daughter's defense. A few years late, admittedly, but Emma didn't care. He truly did love her and wanted nothing more than to protect her. It was with this revelation that she took his hand and patched it up for him.

"Thank you," he said.

"No David, thank _you._" She could see he knew what she meant and he pulled her into a hug. She relaxed after a moment and returned it.

"Anytime." He told her, and she could tell he genuinely meant it. He would always be there for her.

x

Emma and Nicko were still shaken up so Charming made them coffees and spent the rest of the morning watching day-time television with them. He didn't want to leave them alone, even though he knew Emma could handle herself.

"Do you guys want a sandwich?" he asked, and they answered to the affirmative. Nicko got up to got the bathroom while Charming headed to the kitchen.

He was trying to put them at ease by acting casually, as though Reece's words hadn't gotten to him. In truth he had been replaying them in his head for hours, anxious for his family. Charming shook himself mentally. He could handle anything this monster threw at him, and he would enjoy the chance to beat him up again. He had no idea why Emma had stopped him. He looked over at her and could see her blonde hair over the back of the lounge.

That wasn't true - he did know why. Because she was thinking about him, Charming. Thinking about how Reece could hurt her father. Even though that man had damaged her as a child, Emma had overlooked her desire for justice in order to protect her dad. It was something her mother would do, and Charming couldn't help the rush of pride he felt blossom in his chest at the thought of what a strong, kind-hearted woman his little girl had become.

x

"What?" Emma asked raising an eyebrow at David. "You're looking at me funny."

"No I'm not," he said quickly, glancing away from her and focusing on the TV.

"You were. What's wrong? Have I got something in my teeth?"

"No, no, nothing like that," he reassured her, half-smiling. "It's just… did I ever tell you that I'm insanely proud of you?"

Emma turned bright red. No way in hell had she seen that one coming.

She scoffed at him, attempting to hide her discomfort. "For what? Sitting around in a blanket all day conked out in front of the television?"

"I'm serious Emma. You turned out to be so brave and loyal and considerate. I know you can't say it back to me right now but I really do love you. You truly are something special."

He gave her a sad smile and got up from the lounge. She could tell that he recognized Emma needed space and she was overwhelmingly grateful to him for not asking for a response in return.

"Sorry if that was too much to dump on you, but I mean every word," David told her with one of his signature grins. "I'll be at the station, one of us should probably get some work done today," he teased.

She smiled at him weakly but let out a sigh of relief as soon as he shut the door.

"Er, did your roommate's husband just confess his love for you?"

She twisted to see Nicko at the bathroom door. He walked over and plonked himself down beside her.

"Nah, it's not like that. Have you seen the way he and Mary Margaret look at each other? It's more like a familial love, you know."

Nicko nodded and grinned goofily at her, "I guess if your roommate is your mom then that makes him your dad."

Emma let out a small chuckle. "I guess it does."

**So, a Daddy Charming chapter, I haven't had one yet :)What do you guys think?**

**I can't seem to stop myself overloading on the fluffiness and if you guys like it you'd probably like my other story "A few small plot twists". After the first few chapters it's almost exclusively Charming Family feels, this time pre-curse which is fun to explore :)**

**Anyway, I won't let the massive gap between updates happen again! I love getting feedback, as you probably know by now, so I'd love reviews :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**I know I said another update won't be far away but I've just been swamped with real life. I can not express how sorry I am that I've kept you waiting (so long that I didn't even remember the story and had to reread). I can't promise regular updates because I'm heading into my final months of school. Thanks so much for your follows/favourites/reviews, they mean the world to me, and thank you all for bearing with me!**

Charming smiled to himself as he straightened up Emma's desk at the station. She was as disorganized as he was and he was sure he was only making the mess worse, but he hoped Emma would appreciate the effort.

He was about to give up and head back to the apartment, where he was sure Emma would have recovered from her earlier embarrassment, when the phone rang.

"Hello, sheriff's station, David Nolan speaking."

"Hello?" A voice on the other end whispered shakily. Charming tensed – it was a child talking.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

There was a long pause before the child whispered, "Yes."

Charming could hear that it was a girl, and she was clearly distressed.

"What's wrong?" He questioned gently.

"Please… you have to help. I think… he'll hear us."

"Where are you?" He asked as calmly as he could manage.

"We're –" There was a clatter, and Charming was left listening to the dial tone.

He quickly hung up and rung Emma.

"I need your help," he said without preamble, "I got a call from a young girl who sounded scared. She said she couldn't talk because 'he' would hear. I think there were other people with her, she kept saying 'us' and 'we', but the phone cut out. I need you to help me find her – she could be anywhere."

"David," he heard Emma start to say, and he instantly heard the fear in her tone. Maybe he shouldn't make her leave the house so soon after the encounter with Reece. What if it was him, terrorizing this little girl, and it brought back memories?

"If you don't feel up to it, don't worry," he said quickly.

"No, David it's –" Emma began urgently.

"Seriously, I understand," he interrupted.

"David, listen to me!" Charming was shocked at the sheer desperation in her voice. "Where would a little girl be in the middle of the day on a Tuesday? A place with other people. People like Henry and Mary Margaret?"

Charming's stomach dropped, and he very nearly let the phone slip from his hand. "The school," he whispered in horror.

"We'll meet you there."

x

"Emma you can't go charging in there by yourself, what if there's nothing wrong?"

Emma glared at Nicko, who was holding her arm and preventing her from storming into the school.

"What if there _is_ something wrong? My son is in there! Not to mention my m – uh, Mary Margaret!"

"Yeah and a great deal of help you'll be to them if you're hurt! Just wait for David, alright?"

"Alright!" she said, wrenching her arm away. She tapped her foot impatiently and began pacing until she saw David pull up in the cruiser.

He ran over to meet them, and together they entered the school.

It was eerily quiet. Instinctively Emma and David drew their guns. Nicko shifted uncomfortably at the thought of being unarmed and David noticed.

"There's a spare shotgun in the car," he said in a whisper.

Nicko nodded gratefully. "I'll check out the carparks and make sure there's no one hanging around."

"Be careful!" Emma hissed as he slipped away.

With a nod to David she began to creep forward. All the doors where closed, and all lights off. Cautiously David opened one of the classroom doors and they stepped inside. It was deserted, the curtains were closed so that it was almost completely dark. They slipped back into the corridor and checked the next room, which was the same. After discovering the third room in an identical state David let out an exasperated sigh. He turned to Emma, who was by the door, but she held a finger to her lips. She pointed to one of the curtains, which had moved slightly.

Raising their weapons they advanced silently and flanked the curtains. As they drew closer Emma heard a sharp intake of breath and ripped the curtain back, gun raised, to reveal two small boys huddled together.

"Don't hurt us!" One of them cried immediately, shielding his face.

"Whoa, there," David said calmly, striding forward. "No one's going to hurt you, we're the police. We're here to help."

"Oh, thank goodness," said a woman's voice behind them. They swung around to see a worried young teacher hovering near the desk. "Can you tell us what's going on please, your majesty? We heard gunshots…"

Emma started as she realised the whole classroom was coming to life. Children were climbing out from under desks, inside cupboards, behind a box of dress-up clothes. Everywhere small enough to hold a child, it seemed. How had she not noticed them? Even in the dark...

"It's procedure," the young teacher explained at their perplexed looks. "We go into 'lockdown'; the lights are turned off, curtains shut, and everyone finds a place they can't be seen."

"Right… You said you heard gunshots?" Emma asked.

"Yes, about ten minutes ago."

"Ten minutes?!" David said sharply. He shared a look with Emma. Ten minutes was a dangerously short amount of time. The gunman could still be in the school.

"Okay everybody," David said in a whisper, "I need you to go back to your hiding spots and be perfectly quiet again."

Without hesitation the children obeyed.

"We'll let you know when it's all clear," he informed the teacher, who was sliding back behind her desk with three of the children.

They left without another word, closing the door behind them. Instead of walking into each classroom now they simply checked the windows to see if there was any movement. They both grew increasingly anxious as they drew nearer to Mary Margaret's classroom, but neither of them spoke.

Footsteps clattered along the corridor behind them and they both turned with weapons raised.

"Hey!" Nicko put his hands up. "It's just me."

"What did you find?"

He looked at them grimly. "Reece. Driving away from the school. I tried to follow but I lost sight of him after a minute."

"Go into all the classrooms behind you and announce you're with the police. Find the teachers and let them know that it's safe to come out, everyone will be hidden. Get the kids to evacuate to the front of the school and call their parents."

Nicko gave a curt nod and headed into the nearest class while David and Emma immediately sprinted to Mary Margaret and Henry's room. Opening the door David called, "Everything's okay, you can all come out."

For a few tense moments nothing happened, but then children started pouring out towards them as they recognized Emma and David.

"Alright kids, stay calm," David said, having to raise his voice as the children began talking to each other, some of them, Emma noticed, in tears. Where was Henry? Emma was sure he would've kept his head and would be comforting the other students by now. So why couldn't she see him?

"Where's Miss Blanchard?"

At David's question the class instantly turned silent. Emma's stomach dropped to the floor, and she shared a horrified look with David.

"Is there… is anyone else missing?" He asked carefully, but Emma could see he already knew. Knew it the moment he begin speaking and there was no cry of 'gramps!' to greet him.

One girl stepped forward and bit her lip nervously. "Just –just Henry Mills, sir."

Emma closed her eyes and leant back against the wall. How could she have been so stupid? Of course he would take them.

She heard David struggle to take a breath before responding, "Can someone tell me what happened?"

The same little girl shuffled her feet and mumbled, "The Lockdown bell went off and we all hid like Miss Blanchard told us to. A man came in and called out, asking for Henry. Everyone was really quiet and nobody moved from their spots, but Miss Blanchard got up and asked him to leave. He said he wasn't leaving without Henry and he fired the gun twice."

"At Miss Blanchard?" David asked urgently.

"I…" the girl faltered, "I couldn't see…"

"No he didn't!" A boy piped up from the back of the group. He pushed his way forward and announced, "I was hiding under my desk, and Henry was the next one over from me. We could see everything. The guy shot up. It hit the roof. I think it was a warning or something. Then he asked for Henry again and Henry went over to him. Miss Blanchard said that she was coming with them but he said if she did he'd – he'd kill her." The boy gulped. "As soon as he left with Henry Miss Blanchard told us all to stay where we were until someone came and got us, and that she was sure he wasn't coming back but we had to stay where we were just in case. Then she followed them."

David sighed. "Alright, let's get you lot home."

After the last kid had left the room to join the throng of students and teachers heading to the front of the school Emma looked up at David.

"What are we going to do?" She asked quietly.

He looked at her with haunted eyes.

"I don't know."

**Okay not one of my best chapters, I admit. And I'm sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger, especially as I don't know when the next update is. Please tell me what you thought! Good or bad, feedback is appreciated :)**


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